Cleared Tail Lights with PIC's - #1
 

Hey guys, I finally got my pictures back so here's what the process of clearing a set of '96 tailights looks like.[list=1][*]Heat in oven @ 250 for 5 minutes[*]Gently pry apart where the grey glue is. It took me four times in the oven to get all the way around HINT- spread the glue evenly back into the groove on the reflector while it's still warm![*]Once you get the lens off, there is a small screw holding the inside lens frame to the outer lens. Take this screw out and the frame pops out. From there it is easy to get the colored lenses out of the frame.[/list=1]

Cleared tailights - #2
 

After the colored lenses are out, I cut a piece of diffusing plastic to fit in the frame. This isn't difficult, but it takes some time to get the fit right as the frame has a slight curve to it. When it fits snuggly, glue it in and attach the frame back to the outer lens. Here's a picture of the lens, the frame, and a completed lens.

Cleared Tailights - #3
 

Here's a pic of the lens about to be reattached to the reflector. I heated both parts in the oven for 5 minutes and then carefully stuck them back together.

Cleared Tailights - #4
 

And here's the final product.

Cleared Tailights - #6
 

For the final touch I used LED's for the brake and turn lights. They are both clear when off, and red or amber when on. They look sharp! You will need to get a 6 ohm, high wattage resistor for the turn signals or else they will blink too fast. I *think* using these same resitors will fix the dreaded "brake warning light" on the dash, but I haven't tried it yet to be sure. I can let people know where to find them if needed. I'll try to get some more pics soon of the LEDs in the dark. Enjoy!

Damn thats hot. I've been trying to find some time to do that same thing as you. I just havent had much time to spend on the car. Anyways It looks VERY VERY good!

wow great pics

definitely a mod worth doing, and thank you very much for showing us noobs how to do it.

few questions: what do you think it would look like without the diffuser?

to do this mod on a 92, will i need new harness, since the 92 brake lights are on the bottom, and urs are on top? and was it easy getting the tailights out of the car?

and now i need to find some cheap 96 tails :)

must.. see.. dark.. pics... <plop> .. jk, actually if it's not too much to ask, a small video would be even cooler, but I will be happy with pics!!

Thanks! :D
You're quite welcome. I learn so much from this forum, it's nice to be able to give back now and then.
See pic at bottom...
Don't know anything about the '92 lights, sorry. As for getting them out, it's dead easy. Once you take the trunk panels off, there's 4 nuts holding the lights in.

Can't do video, but I'll try to get some night pics soon. Must...hold...on...

thank you sir

so it seems the diffuser part is necessary for the middle part to match wit hthe corner and the back up lights.hmmm

lovin the lights....very interesting how you did that too!

~ Stella

Re: Cleared Tailights - #6
 

GREAT MOD!

I don't quite follow the LED parts...Could you please rephrase or explain better for newbies like myself? Great mod...Going to try to do it on my 96. I was under the impression that our lights were just standard bulbs. I've never worked with LEDS nor do I know much about them.

Thanks,
-Dan

Re: Re: Cleared Tailights - #6
 

Hey Dan,
Sorry I wasn't clear. I'll try again.
There are LED's available as direct replacement plugins for the standard incandescent bulbs. In the case of the '96 SC, the rear brake lights, turn signal, and backup light are all 1156 (bayonet base with single filament). The rear "driving lights" and side marker lights are 194 (wedge base). The front turn signal is an 1157 (bayonet base with two filaments) for reasons unknown since, the SC only uses one filament in it?!? The 1156 and 1157 are not interchangeable as the base is different.

There are lots of places on the web (and even eBay) to get LED's, but the quality and output of light varies considerably from brand to brand. I can recommend the place where I got mine as being reputable and having good quality bulbs (as well as the resistors - more on them in a minute), as well as fast shipping. Check out DirectAuto.com (NOTE to Moderator - I'm not affiliated with this company, just passing along info about what I consider to be a reliable merchant!). They carry all the types and colors of LED's for auto use, 1156, 1157, 194, etc., etc., etc. They also carry the resistors you need to make the blinkers work properly.

The problem with using LED's is they have a VERY low resistance. This confuses the blinker and the circuit that senses when a bulb burns out. For the blinker, merely wiring one of these 6 ohm resistors ACROSS (one side to +, the other side to -) the blinker LED will take care of it. I expect this would fix the bulb out sensing circuit for the tail lights as well, but have not tried it yet. What I'll probably do is just unplug the light bulb in the dash. The LED's will probably outlast the car anyway ;)

One last note. Don't buy the 1156 or 1157 with less than 15 LED's or they won't be bright enough. And for the 194's, get the 4 LED bulbs, NOT the two LED ones. If this is confusing, check out the web sight and it should all become obvious. :)

Hope this helps!

PS- Still don't have pics yet, but hopefully soon!

great mod
 

:thumbup: And you made it so easy...